Mushroom-bullet.



H. W. STARKWEATHER. MUSHROOM BULLET. APPLIOATION FBILBD SEPT. 8, 1913.

Patented Augf18, 1914.

UNITED sTATEs yPATENT onnron.

HENRY W. STARKWEATHER, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIG-NOR TO WIN- A CHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO., OF NEIV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT', A CORPORATION.

MUSHROOM-BULLET.

Application filed September 8,1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY W. STARK- WEATHEP., a citizen of the .United States, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mushroom-Bullets; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the characters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this application and represent, 1n-

Figure l a view in side elevation of one form which a mushroom bullet constructed in accordance with my invention may assume. Fig. 2 a view thereof in central longitudinal section on the line a-b of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 a detached plan view of the jacket tip of the bullet. Fig. i a detached view thereof'in side elevation. Fig. 5 a view in elevation of one of the modified forms which my improved bullet may assume. Fig. 6 a detached plan view of the jacket-tip thereof. Fig. 7 a view of the tip in side elevation.

My invention relates to an improvement in that class of mushroom bullets having a two-part sheet-metal jacket the parts whereof are separated by a circumferential accommodation space, the object being to produce a superior bullet of the character described in which the jacket tip is not embedded in the core but applied supericially thereto in such a manner as to greatly facilitate its mushrooming at the time of impact.

My invention further consists in a mushroom bullet having certain details of construction as will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my invention as herein shown, the jacket-body 2, and jacket-tip 3, are formed independently of each other and swaged in the usual manner upon the relatively soft metal core 4 of the bullet. The jacket-body 2 which extends well to the forward end of the core, is held in place thereupon by conforming to the tapering forward end thereof. The said jacket-tip 3 is superficially applied to the point of the core in the sense that no portion of the tip is embedded in the core or deformed for engagement therewith, whereby the ability of the tip to mushroom is not impaired, nor the external contour of the bullet broken.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

Serial No. 788,623.

As shown, and preferably, the combined length of the jacket-body 2 and jacket-tip 3 are shorter than the length of the bullet over all so as to leave between them a circumferential accommodation space 5, where the core 4 of the bullet is exposed. The production of this space 5 is not, however, necessary to thel practice of my invention, though 1 prefer to employ such a space since it provides accommodation between the adjacent edges of the jacket-body and jacket-tip, permitting them to approach toward each other in line, or'recede from each other in line at the time the bullet is swaged, so as to accommodate any variations in their length. In this connection it may be'stated that the length of the completed bullet over all is held to exact dimensions, but as some variations take place in the production of the parts, it is desirable to have these variations taken up in the assemblage of the parts and this is provided for in the said accommodation space 5, which also assists the bullet to mushroom.

As shown, the jacket-tip 3 is formed with two oppositely located, longitudinally arranged, arrow-shaped openings, separated from the open inner edge of the jacket-tip by transverse bars 7, centrally splitas at 8. When the jacket-tip 3 is swaged upon the slug forming the core 4, it spreads slightly and is prevented from being buckled -or deformed by the slits 8 vin its bars 7,

which permit it to slightly open. As pressure is applied the soft metal of the core exudes into the arrow-shapedopening 6, to form arrow-shaped locks 9 holding the jacket-tip 3 in place. The soft metal also exudes into the spaces 10 formed. by the opening of the bar 7 at the slits 8. The slits 8 find their main function in adapting the j acket-tip to readily spread and mushroom in a relatively symmetrical manner at the time of impact. They also provide for the accommodation of the jacket-tip 3 to the interior measurements of the dies in which the bullet is swaged. When the bullet is swaged, the circumferential space 5 is occupied by a band 11 of metal exuded to fill the said space and completes the external contour of the bullet.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the j acket-body 12 conforms to the jacket-body 2. The jacket-tip 13, however, instead of being formed with two arrowshaped openings 6 and split. as at 8, is formed near its inner end with a circumferential band of openings 14 of which there are four in the example shown. The jacketbody 12 and jacket-tip 18 are altogether slightly shorter than the length of the over all so that a circumferential space 15 is left between them, exposing the soft metal of the core 16 which ows into this space under pressure and forms the contour band 17. When the bullet is being swaged, portions of the soft core 16 are exuded through the openings 14 to form j acket-tip locks 18, which hold the jacket-tip 13 in superlicial engagement, as it were, with the core. In

I this form it will be noted the jacket-tip is not split. It is apparent that the jacket-tip may be adapted in a variety of other ways for its superficial application to the point of the core without embedding any portion of it therein. v

By superfcially applying or engaging the jacket-tip with the point of the core, I avoid weakening the core which results from e1nbedding any portion of the tip in it for the purpose of anchorage, Whereas the exudation of portions of the metal of the core outward into the tip does not have the effect of weakening the core and rendering its point liable to break oli". The object is not tol weaken'v the core but toweaken the jacket. That object I accomplish without impairing the integrity of the core itself.`

I claim i 1. A mushroom bullet comprising a soft metal core, a jacket-body and a jacket-tip applied thereto, the j acket-tip being supercially engaged with the pointed end of the core which is exudedV into it to form one or more locks, and the tip being formed with one or more slits to facilitate its spreading at 'the time of mushrooming.

2. Al mushroom bullet comprising a soft metal core, a jacket-body and a jacket-tip,

the said body and tip being shorter than the longitudinal axis of the core to leave a circumferential contour band of the core exposed between the adjacent edges of the body and tip which'arenot set inward but located in line with each other, the tipbeing formed with-one or more openings'into` which portions of the core are exuded` to form one or more locks for retaining the tip in superficial engagement with the core, whereby the weakening of the j corek `is avoided. c

3. A mushroom bullet having a soft metal core, a jackethbody and a acket-tip, the latter being formed with a pluralityjof longi-V tudinally arranged arrow-shaped openings,

and having its open end split, the said openf.`

ings having portionsof the lead exuded into` them to form locks for retaining the tip in j superficial engagement with the core. 'y c 4. A mushroom bullet comprising a soft metal core, a jacket-body and a jacket-tip,`

the body and tip being enough shorter than the longitudinal axis of the bullet to form f an accommodation space between the edges of the jacket and tip to receive a contour band of metal exuded from the core andthe tip being engaged with the core at a point on its surface in front of the said contour band, whereby its open inner edge is not set yis not set inward'at its inner edge andem'- bedded in the core, but superficially applied tothe point thereof, whereby the weakening i ofthe core is avoided. j

In testimony whereof, I have signedv this specication in the presence of 4two subscrib-` ing witnesses.

, Vitnesses:

THOMAS C. JOHNSON, FRANK PAUL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents' each, by addressingl the Commissioner of AIlatientsy- Washington, D. C. Y

HENRY W. STARKWEATHER. j i 

